At Southeast Polk Community School District we are committed to providing student services to help children grow socially, emotionally, and academically. If your child is in need, please contact your school counselor. If your child is in crisis or at risk for suicide, please call 911 or take them to an emergency department for an immediate medical evaluation.
Southeast Polk schools partners with Employee and Family Resources to provide support for students. Established in 1964, Employee & Family Resources (EFR) is a non-profit human services organization in Des Moines, Iowa. EFR offers a unique spectrum of services in the realm of behavioral and emotional health, including in-person counseling, substance abuse assessment services, drug prevention work in central Iowa schools, and a full-service Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for businesses. EFR works to help people manage life’s challenges so they can reach their full potential.
EFR is located at 505 5th Avenue, Suite 600, in Des Moines, and can be reached at 515.244.6090.
What is the Student Assistance Program (SAP)? What does it provide?
The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is designed to help students, families, and schools manage the impact a wide variety of personal and family problems can have on student behavior and achievement. Free and confidential services, accessible 24/7 by calling 515.244.6090, include:
All services can be interpreted to non-English-speaking clients at no additional cost.
Watch this video to learn more: https://youtu.be/JJHj_kRhZvQ
When should I call the SAP?
The SAP helps students and their household family members with issues that interfere with your daily activities, happiness, family stability, or overall well-being. Some concerns an SAP counselor can help with include:
Who is eligible?
All Southeast Polk students have free, confidential access to the SAP. All household family members of students are also eligible for services.
Click here for more information: Student Assistance Program
Employee & Family Resources (EFR) Counseling Locations
Downtown Offices
505 Fifth Avenue, Suite 600 (6th floor) Des Moines, IA 50309
West Des Moines Offices
1001 Office Park Rd, Suite 205 (2nd floor) West Des Moines, IA 50265
SAP Links:
www.efr.org
www.efr.org/sap
On March 29th, 2018, Senate File 2113 was signed by the governor requiring that all Iowa school districts provide staff training and protocols on suicide prevention/postvention. The goal of these trainings and protocols is to identify students with adverse childhood experiences and to develop strategies that “mitigate toxic stress response” based on nationally recognized practices. You can view the document here.
Southeast Polk has also established agreements with a variety of mental health providers who offer school-based therapy options in our buildings to a limited number of students. To check on availability and find out about the referral process, please contact the school counselor in your student’s building. The providers we work with include:
Requests for Onsite Telehealth Therapy
At this time, Southeast Polk is only offering face-to-face sessions with the approved providers listed above for the 2021-2022 school year. While telehealth was a convenient option for families during the height of the pandemic last year, we do not currently have the capacity to provide space for telehealth services as outlined by the guidelines established by the Department of Education. For families who wish to schedule telehealth therapy appointments for your students, we encourage you to schedule these appointments outside of school hours as possible.
Crisis Information
Crisis Lines:
Non Crisis:
Polk County Children’s Mental Health
Polk County Crisis Resources
Outside of Polk County
Other Mental Health Resources
Student and Family Assistance
Unsure Where to Get Help?
Contact United Way Des Moines: Dial 2-1-1 or go to their United Way 211 Website Know someone who needs support but don’t know where to get help? Just like calling 9-1-1 in an emergency, 2-1-1 is a three-digit helpline that connects anyone with local supports and resources. All professionals are trained to quickly assess a caller’s needs and to identify the best possible solution. 2-1-1 is free, confidential, and available anytime 24/7.
Check out our Rams Unite page here: Rams Unite
